where do we go from here 12:fire and ice
by zantha19
Summary: Zuko and Katara are getting married and everyone is coming, with one big exception.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, this is part 12 of the on-going story, where do we go from here. As always you don't have to have read the parts before this one to total understand this part, but it would help. If anything doesn't make sense then please just ask me and I will fill you in. For those of you who have read the whole thing, then thank you. I hope you are likening the way the story is going. I promise this part will be better than the end of the last one, at least I will try to make it better. I kind of lost focus there for a bit. Please review it really means a lot to me.**

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The carriage was shacking sharply from side to side. The road was very uneven. The full heat of the sun wasn't making the trip any better. The carriage was ordered to take Toph form the port at the fire nation to the fire nation capital, her father's idea. Toph had been staying with her father and stepmother for about half a year now, since Aang left again. She would have only stayed there for as long as it took to call her father out, but she was too weak to leave. The stab wound had held, leaving only a large ugly scar. The wound to her head still twinged from time to time, but there was hardly any scar now. She was a lot stronger than she had been when she went back to her father's house, but not strong enough.

She was trapped again. She was watched every minute of the day, her main bodyguard was sitting across from her now. He was nothing special, she could take him. What would she do then, she had nowhere else to go. If she was honest a part of her liked being in her father's house, only because it was the closest she had ever been to her real mother. She spent most of her time in her mother's study. It was small with a privet garden. It had taken some work, but she had been able to get the garden to grow again. This was her way go getting her strength back. Start of bending small things and work her way up. She read all of her mother's book, the ink was old so it was hard to really read some of it. It was because of the books that she was able to make an ointment that reduced her scars. Though it had little effect on the one one her stomach. That one would never really heal.

It had taken days of arguing, silent treatment for her to get her father to let her go to the fire nation, for Zuko and Katara's wedding. He said she was still not fully healed and strong enough for such a long a trip. She hated to admit it, even to herself, but he was right. She was still very stubborn, so in the end she got her own way. The only conduction was that she had to have a bodyguard with her.

She was so happy for her friends getting married, at the last wedding she had been too, that took place, she told Katara that she didn't mind being ignored and feeling left out by her friends, if it was because they were happy. So that wasn't the reason she was a little worried about going to this wedding. Again she would never admit it, but it was because she was worried that he might be there. The chances of that where very slim, that didn't stop her from worrying though.

Aang hadn't made much of an impression on Toph when they had first met almost six years ago. When they were twelve, but over the time they had spent together he had grown on her. Then he left, left them to deal with maintaining the balance that they had fought for. He had come back for two years, he spent a year of that time with Toph, then he left again. Deep down Toph knew that he wouldn't have left if he really didn't feel that he had too, but that didn't stop her from hating him. Mainly because she could never really hate him.

Toph had been pulled into a tight dress, and her hair had been pinned back tightly for the first time in six years. She was like a doll, a doll of her stepmother. Of course she would never see that. She wondered if any of her friends would recognize her, she didn't feel like herself any more. Since she had found out about her birth mother she had felt like she had lost a part herself. She had felt her light grasp of her identity falling away over the time she had been at the father's house. Everything that made her her was gone. In its place was the doll her father had always wanted her to be.

Technically Toph was still a princess of the fire nation. When she had been engaged to Zuko, to keep the balance of the world, she had to be made a princess so that they could be married. Katara had also had to go though the same thing. Even though she was accepted by the people of the fire nation, Toph was still viewed as the true princess and their briefed fire lady. This was due to her name, the Bei Fong's name was known even in the fire nation. As they had money and were of noble birth. Toph was seen as the better choice, but when had any of the group ever really been told what to do by the older generations. This had been Toph's reason, as to why she didn't come to the fire nation sooner, she didn't what to make it any harder for Katara. So she was going to arrive the day before the wedding. Lying that her father wouldn't let her leave any sooner.

They where a few miles from the capital, when Toph felt the air turn cold, and her heart race. They were travelling the same way she and Aang had less than a year ago. Toph had been to the places where they had fought, where she and the others had been hurt before, even where she had felt people die, but this was different. She clenched her hands on her legs, and for an unknown reason closed her eyes.

_Breathe in, out, in, out. _

After a few minutes she relaxed. Though she couldn't see it, she felt her bodyguards eyes on her.

"I'm fine." It was a lie, a automatic reaction, but what else could she say.

The carriage finally came to a stop, right in front of the palace a few hours later. Toph's bodyguard got out first, making his way round to open the door for her. After he had done this he held out his hand, to help her down from the carriage. She didn't take it.

The bodyguard was still getting used to Toph, so he turned red slightly, worried that he had done something wrong, been to familiar. Toph loved making his heart race like that out of embarrassment, or nervousness. It was one of her only freedoms at the moment. He let her walk on ahead of him, as he untied the luggage from the back of the carriage. Before she could reach out to open the door, it opened in-front of her. She wasn't really paying much attention, so she was a little taken by surprise.

"About time." Sokka's voice sounded so different to her. As he pulled her into a hug she tried to think of the last time the two of them had really spoken,she caught think of when that was. He had a family of his own that he had to take care of now, so he wasn't around as much.

After he let her go he guided her away from the door. He was talking, she was sure of that, but she didn't hear any of what he was saying. She was thinking of the last time she had been here. She had to block out those memories. She started to go through a list of all the things that she could bend in her head. This managed to calm her down a little.

When she was finished, she noticed that Sokka's voice that had been little more than white noise had stopped. So she spoke "So where are Suki and Suten."

"You haven't heard a word I said, have you." He really could pout, as well as any girl.

Sokka had noticed that Toph wasn't really listening to him. She was just going through the motions, walking along side him. He was really worried about his friend. She was like another little sister to him. Aang was also like a brother, but he was still mad at him for doing this to Toph. He hadn't really seen her in a long time, but he was sure this wasn't her, she was stronger than this.

"Suki is too far along to travel, so they are staying in the water tribe."

The wedding was going to be a three day celebration. On the first day, there would be a traditional ceremony in the fire nation, with a party after. On the second day the bride and groom and some guests would travel to the southern water tribe, for a traditional water tribe ceremony, that would take place on the third day. This meant Suki, Suten and Gran gran, who couldn't travel would still be apart of the wedding. Toph was not going to the water tribe, she made it clear that it wasn't practical, she would be total blind there. No guilt trip was going to change her mind on this.

"Sorry." That was when he really started to be worried. Toph never said sorry especially not to him.

"Come on." He took hold of her hand and pulled her along the corridor, to a side door that lead to the garden. He had just had one of his brilliant ideas or so they seemed to him. "Ok, I am going to run around the garden, and if you can hit me with a rock. A rock ok, not a boulder. Then I will be your date to the wedding tomorrow." As he spoke he bowed, unaware how much that act annoyed Toph, and reminded her of Aang. He used to do it to annoy her.

"I like the throw rocks at you part, but I think it's you that doesn't want to go to the wedding tomorrow on your own." Her trade mark grin was now on her face, for the first time in a long time. It was almost worth the possibility of being hit by a very likely large rock, to see her more like her old self again, almost. He wasn't that stupid.

"Ok if you don't want to..." He never got the chance to finish, as a rock was now heading for his head, at a very alarming rate.

He tried to run as far away as he could, thinking he would be safer hiding behind a tree, he keeled down behind one at the edge of the garden. He got his breath back, got to his feet to make a run for it. He remembered her being much faster, and the rocks being bigger. At least she was still throwing them at him. As odd as that sounded he was glad that he was able to bring her out of herself a little. He was never very good with feelings, but he could cheer people up.

Sokka again tried to move, but his feet wouldn't move. He feel face first onto the grass. After a few seconds he pushed himself up with his hands. Toph was standing over him, with the sun behind her, a rock in the air just in front of her, and her evil grin. He closed his eyes waiting for the hit.

"Toph don't kill Sokka now, Katara is going to be annoyed that you got your hair messed up before the wedding. You can kill he after the wedding." Zuko walked towards them. A grin on his face, to match his cheerful tone. It was a little odd coming from him, but nice. It meant he was happy.

He had been aware that Toph had arrived for a while now, and that she was with Sokka. He left them for a while, as Sokka was the best person to cheer her up. He had also left them till he got up the guts to speak to her. He had something he had to tell her, and he didn't know how she was going to take it.

"Ok sparky. Man she really has you whipped doesn't she." He couldn't help but smile at her, she was coping much better than he thought she would be, maybe she would be able to deal with what he had to tell her. He then looked at her eyes, and knew he had been to optimistic. Toph a was a very good actress, but not even she could stop the pain from showing in her eyes.

"Toph I have to speak to you." He didn't wait for her to say anything. He walked back towards the place. Toph was a little annoyed that he just expected her to fallow him, but she was sure it had to be something important, for him to act like that.

To Sokka it looked like she was just moving her arms around in slight circler movements , as she unwound the grass from his legs " Don't worry meat head, I'll still go to the wedding with you." She shot him a small warm smile, that let him know he had got throw to her, a little. Cause now he too could see her real feelings in her eyes. She ran after Zuko, as she did she felt all the time that she had spent caged up in her father house falling of her.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for reading. Hope you liked it. Sorry this isn't another chapter. As this is a rewrite it wouldn't update till I added the next chapter. While I will do soon. Till then this gives me the chance to ask you to please review and let my know what you think. Good or bad, thank you.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, sorry it has taken so long to up-date. As I said on the part of the story before this one, I am also writing another story at the same time as I am rewriting this one. I'm trying to do one chapter of one then the other story, so they both are up-dated regularly. I did also say that I would feel more inclined to up-date a the story that is getting more feedback, sooner. That is what has happened. The other story is getting a lot more feedback, three reviews a chapter. Which for me is great. I normally get one review a chapter, if I am lucky for this story. So far I have had no reviews for the part of the story at all. The one review it has was from when I posted the story the first time, over a year ago. That is why I up-dated the other story first, and why it has taken longer to up-date this one. Again I am not telling you this to get you to review, if you don't want to. I just feel I should explain why it has been longer in up-dating, and why it may take longer to up-date the story form now on. I will finish the whole story, all 20 parts, it may just take me a little longer. Thank you.**

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Zuko made his way to his favourite place, the balcony at the front of the palace. Where he could talk to Toph in private. When he reached the balcony, he looked out at the fire nation capital, and waited for Toph to join him. She was surprisingly light on her feet, for an earthbender, she had picked up a few of Aang's mannerisms in the time they had spent together. She didn't say anything, as she walked over to stand by his side. Casting her sightless eyes over the city in front of her and rested her arms on the railing, Waiting for Zuko to finally speak.

He slowly pulled out a piece of paper from his robe, then turned and faced her. Forcing the letter into her hand, that rested next to him on the railing."We found this in his room after he left." He never saw her, but she rolled her eyes at this. Aang had done this once before, the last time he left, left her a note. Zuko had no idea how she was going to take this, did she hate him so much that she didn't even want to think of him again, or would this just make her want to have him back with them more. He cared about Aang, but like Sokka viewed Toph as a little sister, so he worried about the affect Aang's unreliability had on her, and hated him a little for it.

She ran her fingers over the ink, taking in the earth in the ink so she could read it. One side of the paper only had one word written on it, her name. Unlike the last letter he had left, this one was just for her. She dropped her left hand, the one she had read her name with. She stayed frozen for a few seconds. She was clearly coming to an important decision. Her right arm moved up, almost forcing the letter back towards Zuko.

"Burn it."

He tilted his head to look at her eyes, to make sure she was sure about what she had just said. He couldn't tell if she really meant it. "Are you sure."

"Please Zuko, burn it."

She never let the letter go, so he held it just above her hand. The paper burned quicker than he had expected. He let go, but Toph held on to it, till the ash had blown away into the air. He was sure she had burned her hand, but she didn't even seem to notice or care. She then calmly turned back to face the city, leaning forward on the railing. He was going to leave her when she spoke "There is something else you want to talk about, so just spill it." As he looked back at her, she was facing him, with an all knowing smile on her face.

There was something else that was on his mind, that he wanted to talk to Toph about, two things really, but the way she had reacted to the letter stopped him from voicing it. Now she seemed to have put it behind her. He knew that was just an act, but if that was the way she wanted to handle it than he would let her. So he told her what was bothering him. "I don't know if this is really what Katara wants, to marry me." He had moved over to the railing again, and was looking down at the cold hard ground below him as he finished speaking.

Toph felt a laugh building up, but she suppressed it, and spoke as calmly as she could. "Yeah, I'm sure your right. I mean after putting the fact that you are from the fire nation, who she has been fighting ageist, who killed her mother and took her father away from her when she needed him most, And of course that you tired to kill her best friend, countless times. Putting all of that behind her and moved on and trusts you .So yeah I am sure she really hates you. Marrying you is the last thing she wants."

Zuko could almost taste the sarcasm in her voice. "Ok, ok your right."

"Really. You really should have figured out that, I am always right by now. I am disappointed in you, sparky."

He chose to ignore her last comment. This was Toph you had to expect a hard edge from her. "It's just that I love her. I really do and after Mai and all we've been through I don't want to do anything to mess this up."

Toph felt a warm sense of love come over her, she had never really felt anything like that before. She was so happy for her friends, that two of the people she cared about the most in the world where so happy, and had someone that they could rely on, that would never let them down. There was also a tinge of jealousy along with the love and happiness. She wished that she had someone that felt that way about her, that she felt that way about someone. Though she knew she wouldn't cope well with that. The idea of really loving someone like that scared her more than anything else. When you love someone like that, you trust them with your most fragile possession, your heart. She could read people to well to ever really trust someone that much. Once he finished talking she pulled him into a hug "You are going to be fine. You two love each other more than anyone else I know, and you have been through enough to get here. Just enjoy it."

He hugged her back. He had never known her to be so overly caring and supportive. He knew that she was one of the most understandings, nurturing people he knew, but she never showed that in this way. She must really mean what she was saying. He couldn't help but think that part of what she had said wasn't quit right, of all the people he know Toph and Aang had been through the most, but hadn't gotten very far for the trouble, a part of him hoped that they would work it out soon, but the rest of him worried about the pain Toph was in now because of Aang. They pulled apart and she gave him a warm smile and a kiss on the check, just under his scare.

"There's something else I wanted to talk to you about. Ask you really."

"What." there was an odd tone in her voice. Like she was close to being annoyed.

Zuko glanced back at the city, before he went on. "I, there's no one else I can think of really...since Aang's not here. Or my uncle. So would you be my best man tomorrow."

Toph was a little shocked. She didn't answer at first. She tried to think of anyone else that would be better for the job than her, but she couldn't. Katara was being walked down the aisle by her father. Sokka and Suki had been meant to walk in-front of them and in-front of them Toph would walk out first. Aang was meant to be Zuko's best man. With Suki having to stay at the south pole, and Aang not coming, Zuko had no one to be his best man. Sokka should stay with Katara, she should have her family with her, that only left Toph. The more she thought about it, the more the idea appealed to her. She would much rather spend the hours before the wedding, drinking with Zuko and the other guys, than with Katara and the other girls talking about make up and hair. "Does that mean I don't have to wear the dress."

"Afraid not. Katara agreed to the idea, only if you still wore the dress she had made for you."

"Well, since I'm stuck with the dress anyway. I'll be your best man." Toph was about to move to give him another hug, very unlike her. When a voice called to them.

"Are you two done talking yet. Dinners being served." Sokka held back at the open doors of the balcony.

Zuko gave Toph's arm a light squeeze, as a sign of thanks, before he moved away to go to dinner. "Yeah we're done Talking, lets go eat."

Toph was just about to move too, when Sokka spoke again. "Before we go, there is something I need to give Toph." Like Zuko he pulled out a sheet of paper from his robe. For a brief monument she was worried that Aang had also some how given Sokka a letter for her too. "Suki said you had to have this. It's a list of things you have to take care of as the maid of honour tomorrow."

"Wait I cant..." it suddenly became clear why Zuko had been a little nervous about asking her to be his best man. She had been tricked into doing double duty. "You knew about his didn't you." She turned to face Zuko. "I have to do both don't I."

"There isn't anyone else. All you have to do is help Katara get ready, then stand with me at the alter. That's it."

"why can't I stay with you guys and drink tomorrow. I case you forgot I'm not going to be much help, with the whole make up and hair thing. I'm blind."

Sokka moved towards Toph. Slipping the letter into her hand, as he wrapped the other around her shoulder. "Come on Toph. I won't be that bad." He then pulled her away with him as he moved back into the palace.

"That is easy for you to say."

They joined Zuko at the door to the balcony and mad their way to the great dinning room for that pre-wedding feast.

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**Thank you for reading. As the story is more than half way done, this being part 11, I just wanted to ask those of you how have read the whole thing from the start, what do you think of it all as a whole. I would really love to know so please review and let me know, it would really help with writing the rest of the story. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Once again sorry about taking so long to up-date. If you read the note in the last chapter, you know why that was the case, so I wouldn't go through it again. To answer the questions in the review I got for the last chapter. Suki isn't at the wedding because she is pregnant with their second child. This is part 12, of the story. Sorry I got a little confused about that to. One last thing, I have added links to pictures of Katara's wedding dress, and the dress Toph is wearing on my profile. I hope you will have a look at them, and let me know what you think.**

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The sun hadn't even fully risen yet, but Katara was already dressed. In a beautiful red dress robe, with blue trim detail. Toph was also dressed in her tight dress. She had no idea what colour Katara had dressed her in, blue or red. She hoped it was blue, she worried if she wore red then she would be seen more as the princess of the fire nation. That was the last thing she wanted on Katara's big day. Unfortunately it was a red dress. Made of a gold detailed chest plat, that thin flowing red material came out from. Her shoulders were left bear, so she wore a gold and red shawl.

"I just can't get it to seat right." Katara was trying to fix her hair into a top knot, something she hadn't done in years.

"Trust me sweetness, Zuko isn't going to care what you do with your hair. That will be the last thing he is thinking about." Toph was slumped down in a chair by the window. She would never have thought that getting dressed could be so tiring.

Katara turned away from the mirror, she had been staring into for the last few minutes, to face her Then walked over to her, Speaking as she did "I know I just want everything to be perfect." she was now pacing the room. Toph couldn't help but smile at how alike Zuko and Katara were, he had said more or less the something to her the night before. After a few minutes of silence, Katara was still pacing the room. This seemed like the best time to give her, her wedding present. If only to give her something else to focus on. She pulled the small box out of from under the shawl wrapped around her shoulders.

"Here." Her tone was a little harsh, but it was meant to be. She held the box out for her. Katara couldn't help but laugh on in the inside at the irony, Toph always seemed to have something up her sleeve.

She took the box from her, and carefully opened it."Oh Toph it's beautiful." Toph had made the present herself. It was a hair clip, it was made of a very highly processed metal, so it was a little more difficult to bend it the way she wanted. It was in the shape of a wave that had a very similar shape to the fire nation symbol as well. Katara placed it in her hair at the top of the top knot. Then bent down to give Toph, who was still sitting in the chair a hug.

"Cant.. breath" Katara was holding her very tightly, but Toph exaggerated her voice for effect.

"Stop complaining, it's my special day." she finally let her go. Not before she kissed her on the check. This had been the closest she had seen Toph to being her old self again since the war ended. She had started to wonder if the Toph she thought she knew was really the real Toph. She might have just been putting up a front, to get through it all. There was a faint far of look of pain in her eyes, again Katara wondered if that had always been there, and no one had noticed. She felt this was the best time to ask her the question she had wanted to ask her since she got here. "Did Zuko give you the..."

"Yes, and I got him to burn it."

"Oh Toph."She moved to hug her again.

Toph slipped past her, moving to stand up."Don't, this is your day and Zuko's. He isn't important."

Despite her strong words Katara knew that Aang was important to all of them, but maybe it was best if he left. If he could just up and leave, then they couldn't rely on him to be around all the time, so they should get used to that now. She missed him, but she had a life of her own now they all did. Once Toph was more settled, got used to being back home. she would be able to not let it get to her as much. Knowing all of this, Katara still couldn't help herself saying "But he is important."

The door open, and the two fire nation princess were joined by the third, before either could say any more on the subject of the missing avatar. By the end of the day there was only going to be two princesses, and a fire lady. Urse took a minute to look at the two girl's in-front of her. Katara looked so beautiful, she was so happy for her son. Toph looked more and more like her mother ever time she saw her. The only difference was a clear look of sadness in her eyes, mixed with afar away look.

"How are you doing." She addressed Katara, moving towards her. Taking hold of her hands when she reached her.

"Nerves, but so excited." a huge grin crossed her face.

Urse returned the smile "So is Zuko, Sokka is with him now. Their almost..."

"No! He is going to try and give him the big brother speech. I stop him before he make a fall out of himself, and Zuko hurts him." Before either Urse or Toph could remind her, that it was bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the wedding, she was gone.

"Sokka is so dead." Toph let out a laughed.

Urse now turned her full attention to Toph. She was aware of what happened the last time Toph had been to the fire nation with Aang. She was also aware of what Iroh had believed about Toph and Aang, what their fate was. Looking at Toph now, and the way she remembered them together, she had come to believe herself. Toph reached into the sleeve made by her shawl again, and pulled out another box. She handed it to Urse. She felt her heart race once she opened the box, and saw what was in it.

"She had a room, a study. It's where I spend most of my time. I found it in a box on her desk. I knew it was the one you made her for a wedding present. Since you gave me the one she made you, I thought you should have the one you made her back."

On the day Toph was meant to marry Zuko, Urse had given her an ankle bracelet, with seven gems. Aang had later told her the gems represented the seven chakras. It also had a pendant with a yin yang engraved in it. It was a wedding present her mother had made for Urse. The one she had found in her mother's room was Urse's wedding present to her mother. It was almost the same except the pendant had a lotus flower engraved in it.

"Thank you" For the second time in a short space of time Toph was pulled into a hug. It was then they heard a loud yell coming from down the corridor. They knew it was Sokka, Katara had really tried to kill him.

"I should go make sure my date is still alive." Toph left, for the first time in a long time she felt the weight on her shoulders lessen a little.

The yelling got louder as she got closer the the room the boys had been waiting for the ceremony in. just as she was about to walk into the room, Sokka came running out in-front of her, almost running her over. Katara came running out after him, he his behind Toph, holding tightly onto her shoulders.

"Katara came down." Sokka, breathed.

Toph rolled her eyes. "Sugar Queen, I think you need to calm down."

"I'm perfectly calm!." This would have been convincing if she hadn't yelled it. Toph choose not to say anything else. Sokka held onto her shoulders, moving her slightly from side by side as she tried to talk t his sister. When this was over she would have to make fun of him for hiding being a little blind girl, to protect himself from his little sister. Zuko who had like Toph had chosen to stay out of the fight, moved over to them, placing a hand on Katara's shoulder. She turned to face him. His calm face relaxed her, she let out a deep breath and walked back t her room. Toph hated all that mushy stuff, but she had to admit that the way they were able to talk to each other without words was very cool.

Sokka let out a deep breath, as he let go of Toph's shoulders. He followed Zuko back into the room they were waiting for the ceremony to start in. Toph followed after both of them. Once in the room the first thing she did was walk over to the small table in the corner and pick up a glass of whatever alcohol was in the glass. She felt two pairs of eyes on her. "What, I think we could all use a drink right now." With a quick glance at each other, Zuko and Sokka nodded, and walked over to get a drink for themselves.

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**Once again, sorry for the long time in up-dating. I will try very hard to be better the next time. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, I am very sorry that it has taken so long for me to up-date. I never forgot about the story, and I have every intention of finishing it. I just had a lot of stuff for school going on. I also did say that I was writing another story too, so I got caught up in that. Like I said before I plan to form now on up-date once a week at the least, one chapter for this story and one for the other. **

**ThisStoryIsAwesome. Thank you very much for your review. I hope you will read the rest of the story, and may review once in a while.**

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The ceremony had been very quick, much to Toph's delight. Katara and Zuko had also been very eager to have the ceremony over with, as fast as possible. Not that they didn't enjoy the moment, or respect its importance. They just couldn't wait to be married. It felt like they had been waiting, planning for this for so long. Neither could keep the smiles from their faces. Though they were able to keep their smiles form spreading across their whole face. That was until the ceremony was over, then there was no holding it back any more.

Sokka watched and smiled a little too, clapped as he was expected to, but there was a far of look in his eyes. He missed Suki, and their son. He wanted his family here with him, his whole family. He kept all of this hidden. You could only see his slight sadness if you looked closely in his eyes. Toph if anyone took the time to look had a similar look in her eyes. She too was thinking about the people that weren't here, when they should be.

The main hall was filled with large circular tables. Except for a clear area were people were dancing, and the band was playing. The music filled the room, but it was not enough to drawn out the voices in Toph's head. She was sitting at her table, her head held up by her hand. Rather than the music filling her head, it was the chatter from the table next to her. A group of three noble women form the fire nation court sat in a small group. Heads bent together, like they were conspiring, rather than making remarks about the other lady's dresses.

At first Toph had been able to ignore them, but then they started talking about her. About how her dress was improper, she should have kept her shawl on. She had taken it off after entering the main hall. The mixture of a large group of people in close proximity, and many torches of burning fire made it so hot for even a thin shawl like hers. In her mind she wanted to ask, how they could stand to wear the heavy dresses they were, but she said nothing.

After a while they started talking about her again. "I head she has lost her ability to bend."

"Really, why. I guess it may help her get a husband. She is quit pretty in away, but so thin….That age and still not married." This was said with a shacking of the head.

"I don't think it will help much. It's to do with the avatar I heard."

"Yes I think I heard that too. She was in love with him. When he rejected her, she simply lost the power."

"No I heard it was him that loved her. When she rejected him, he took her bending away."

Her blood was burning; her free hand was clenched shut. She promised that if they said one more things then she would say something, anything."

"What difference does it make. The fact is now, the one thing that was good about her, apart from her family, and that will only get her so far, is gone."

That was it.

She was half way between standing and sitting, when a hand came down on her shoulder. "Come on, it's time you danced." She pulled herself up, and turned to face Sokka. "You can't sit there all night." She was giving him her leave me along stare. " Look, if I have to make an effort when my wife isn't here then so do you." He never gave her the change to sit back down or say anything. He took hold of her arm and pulled her towards the dance floor.

Just as they passed the table with the gaggle of women, she pulled her arm free. Lifting it into slowly up a little. Moving the three hands of the women as well. They reached out and took hold of their wine glasses. Toph lifted her arm up in the air, and so did they. A slight grin crossed her face, as she tilted her hand a little towards herself.

A series of loud screams suddenly filled the room. The three women, jumped to their feet. Their eyes locked on their fancy dresses, now stained with red wine, from the glasses they had poured over themselves. Hiding her smile, and fighting back her laughter, Toph walked over to them.

"The one thing you were so sure about was the one thing you were so wrong about." Her voice came out overly sweet, but there was a ting of malic to it. Turning away she linked her arm with Sokka's, and was now the one leading him towards the dance floor.

The movements they made on the dance floor could not be called dancing. They stepped slowly and awkwardly, trying to copy the other dancers. This had seemed like a better idea in Sokka's head. When the music slowed down, they didn't have to try so hard to keep up, and were able to talk.

"You miss them." He nodded.

"You miss him." She didn't nod, but she did move her head to the side, so he couldn't see her face. "Its ok if you do, it's ok to be human, to…"

"Stop." It was now his turn to look away, glancing over the whole hall.

After a while she spoke again. "I don't miss him. He choose to leave again, leave us all behind. I miss the freedom, that's all."

"Things not going will with your parents."

Her face suddenly turned to face him. "No. thinks are not going well with my father." She stressed the importance of the word father.

"Maybe it's for the best…." Before he could say more, she quickly pulled away. She was looking back at him now with a look of shock and confusion. "I mean…if you have a life of your own, responsibilities…..following him around, it not good for you."

Her already large eyes widen in dibelife. "You….you don't get it."

As quickly as she could she made her way form the dance floor, from the hall and gout into the palace gardens. This was harder than it should have been, due to the huge number of people she had to push past. With a sigh, Sokka followed after her. When he too was outside he saw her stomping of to further into the garden.

"Are you I love with him."

His voice was raise so that it could be heard over the music spilling out from the hall. The words stopped Toph in her tracks. After a second she quickly turned to face him.

"Don't be stupid."

Sokka now walked towards her. "Then why do you…."

"I never followed after him. He asked for my help. As a friend I gave him it."

Sokka had been ready for a fight, knowing her well enough that when she was like this a fight was inventible. With all that was going on he really didn't want to fight with her now. So he tried a right approach. Slowly he lifted his hands and placed them on her shoulders.

"Toph, you my friend too, so Aang. I care about you both, we all do. I just think that it's best that you take time apart. Whenever you spend time together like you have been, something always happens…..you get hurt, Toph. Not him you."

"I can take care of myself. I don't need you, or anyone telling me what to do." She shrugged his arms off her, and turned to walk away.

"This isn't to do with Aang is it." She stopped walking away. "It about your father…."

"I hate it there." Her voice was low, but he heard it, just loud enough to be heard over the music. He stepped closer to her. He was about to place his hands on her shoulders again, but she moved away before he could. Turning to face him.

"Then why don't you leave….."

"I can't."

If he wasn't standing right next to her, he would not have heard her, she spoke so quietly. She didn't have to say anymore, even Sokka understood. She was still to weak to get away, she had been trapped again. Worse will she just didn't seem to have to will to try. He carefully wrapped his arms around her, as the music continued to fill the air.

The next day Sokka and the newlyweds along with their families boarded a ship to take them to the South Pole, for the second wedding ceremony. Toph saw then off at the port, wanting to put of her return to her father's home for as long as she could.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. I know it was bad and short. I just wanted to get this part done, so I could move onto the next one. Which will be better, I promise. I really hope that you liked it. That if you have read the story up till this point, you will keep reading, and if you have just started that you would maybe read the parts before this one. **

**There is a link to what Toph's dress looks like in my profile. It is under the where do we go from here part, it the last, or second last link. **

**This was the last chapter for this part. The next part is "Where do we go from here 13: heaven and earth" it should be up-dated by the weekend. **

**Also if you could please review, let me know what you think that would be great, I would appreciate it, thanks. **


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